crony

[kroh-nee]

noun

plural

cronies 

1. a close friend or companion; chum.

   Synonyms: buddy, pal

crony

/ ˈkrəʊnɪ /

noun

1. a friend or companion

Word History and Origins

Origin of crony¹

1655–65; alleged to be university slang; perhaps < Greek chrónios for a long time, long-continued, derivative of chrónos time; chrono-

Word History and Origins

Origin of crony¹

C17: student slang (Cambridge), from Greek khronios of long duration, from khronos time

Example Sentences

In the president’s world, speakers should apparently be free to say whatever they please, just as long as what they say pleases him and his cronies.

From Salon

“The billionaires continue to wage a war on working people, with their cronies in the administration, ICE and law enforcement backing up their attacks,” according to the organizers’ toolkit.

From Los Angeles Times

This concern placed the Fed in open conflict with Truman and his Treasury secretary, his crony John Wesley Snyder.

From Los Angeles Times

Shadow sports minister Louie French accused the government of "installing one of their key cronies at the helm of what should be an independent regulator".

From BBC

As I watch the Trump administration and his cronies continue to make references to God through their policy decisions, I can’t help but be disgusted.

From Salon

Related Words

• accomplice 
• acquaintance 
• associate 
• buddy 
• chum 
• colleague 
• comrade 
• confidant 

When To Use

What does crony mean?

A crony is a close friend or associate, especially one among several.Crony can be used in a neutral way meaning much the same thing as buddy or pal, as in I still get together with my college cronies. But the word is most often used in a negative way to refer to a lackey or an accomplice in some kind of shady or illegal activity.It’s especially used in a political context to refer to friends or associates of people in power who are appointed to positions or otherwise shown favor due to their relationship with that person, rather than for their qualifications, as in He ran for office to enrich himself and his cronies. When used this way, it implies a criticism of such people.The term cronyism refers to the practice of appointing and otherwise favoring people in this way.Example: Several of the company’s executives were known to be cronies of the CEO, making them unpopular with many employees.